Bristle-feeding means for brush-making machines.



y w. G. LIBBIG. BBISTLE FEEDING MEANS FOR BRUSH MAKING HAOHINBG.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1906.

Patented May 4, 1909.

2 SHEETS-#8132211;

I INVENTOR A1! :ys-

W. G. LIEBIG.

BRISTLE FEEDING MEANS FOR BRUSH MAKING MACHINES.

nrmommn FILED me. a, 1906. 920,355.

following to *scnptron' of the same, such as will enable 1 UNITE STATESPATEN UFFKQE.

WILLIAM G. LIEBIG, OF DETROIT, MltlllltjAX.

BRISTLE-FEEDING MEANS FOR BRUSH-MAKING MACHINES;

have invented a certain new and useful Imgrovement in Bristle-FeedingMeans for rush Makmg) Macl'iines, and declare the c a lull, clear, andexact doothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to bristle feeding means for brush makingmachines, and has for its object an improved rece itacle and bristlemanipulator whereby the bristles are i fed forward. in a mass againstthe engaging periphery of the bristle carrier, which. automaticallyselects from the mass the quantity of bristles ghlsired for a tuft, andcarries the same to its point of deposit in the vicinity of the brushback, into which it is stapled, and

at each stroke of which the bristles remaining in the mass in the feedbox are pushed back to their proper position.

The device of this application is equally adjustable to either of myPatents No. 845,959, dated March 5, 1907, or No. 846,583 dated March 12,1907.

In the drawings:Figure 1, is an elevation, from the rear of thc machine,of the feed box and the bristle sweep, together with enough of the,movable portion of the mechanism to -show the means of operating thesweep, Fig. 2, is a front elevation of the fccdbox and sweep, togetherwith the adjacent portions of the machine, the relative position of thebristle carrier and of the sweep, with reference to the ad acent parts,

being shown respectively in full lines and in dotted lines. Fig. 3, is aperspective from the rear of'thc feed box,ihsassociatcd from the otherportions of the n'icclmnism; a portion of the side of the box is hcrcbroken away to give a. clearer view of the position thcrcwithin of thecentral follower piece. Fig. 4, is a sectional elevation of the feedbox} Fig. 5, is an enlarged elevation of the forward or feeding end ofthe box, showing the bristle-rotarding finger and scraper. Fig; 6, is aperspectivo'of the bristle-rctant-- mg finger. Fig. 7, is a perspectiveof the soraperfshowing its adjustaqlc character. Fig. 8, .s a frontperspective pf the bristleretardiiig fingcif Fig. 9, is a. perspectiveof Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 3, 1906. Serial No. 328,977.

' referred to.

against the spreading piece Patented May 4, 1909.

the sweep, disassociatcd from all the other (1. Lncnro, a parts.

1 represents the bottom piece of the feed box, and 2 the cover. 'lhesides 3 may be moved inwardly or outwardly as (,lesircd, and areregulated by the engagement of bolts l, which, engaging through theslots-ti, may be screwed up to hold the side braces ln case the lengthof bristles used is greater than ordinary, these side pieces, and thebraces which are lixod to them, are moved outwardly as far as possiblefrom the center of the box, thus allowing the bristles, which lie acrossthe box, ample room to lie exactly transversely to the lei'igtlnviscaxis of the box as a whole. The bristles at the front, or feeding end,of the box are engaged by the slot/ted )eriphery ol' the picker orcarrier o as fully described in the patents The extent of its peripheryand of its swing in each cycliof operations is such that it atoll timesforms a complete bar to the egress of the bristles from that, end of thebox, exce t as taken by the slots in the periphery of the carrier.

VVh'cn the box is lirst tilled, the central follower 6]., which engagesin tracks 7 and S in the cover and bottom )icce res )ectivel of the box,is pushed almost completely out 01' the box, and the bristles arrangedtherein transversely of its length. The follower is 1 across thespreading piece it) across the 'outer end of the follower (51, andpasses over the spools 9% The follower (it being sl'dable lengthwise ofthe box, the pull of the \l eight at the bottom of the cord 9, whicl'ibocalusc of its extent over the spool t) is communicated equally to thatpart of the cord which bears 10, which is fixed to the follower piece(31, operates to push the folhiwor piece as far within the box as themass of.b1 'istles at its forward'cnd will per-v mit. This causes themass of bristles, as it is diminishml by the tufts taken by the carrier,

to be constantly pressed forward against the carrier; as the su )ply isdiminished, the follower moves fart ier and farther within the box. Across-brace or bolt unites the tops of the struts 12, and between theseit passes through the somewhat thickened end of the cover 2 and throughthe clamping finger 13,

' feed box.

the pressure of the weighted cord t), t

whose inner end, extending back over the cover, is fixed thereto so asto move with the cover, and, when the box is closed, to he almostparallel with the top of the follower. The opposite or free end of thisclamping finger extends, when the box is closed, slightly beyond itsend, and when the follower 6] is almost wholly within the box, ovcriangsthe spreading piece 10. When the cover is raised, the free end of theclamping finger is by this movi'anei'it lowered until it engages withits edge or point against the top edge of the follower, which whenpulled out of the box along its track, lies directly therebeneath. Bythis time the cover is so nearly. in a perpendicular position, that itmay be left unsupported by the hand of the operator; the pressure of thefinger upon the follower 6] is of such degree that, in spite of hefollower cannot move forward until the cover is again swung to ahorizontal position, and the pressure of the finger 13 against the topof the follower 6] comes to an end; this need not be done until thedesired quantity of bristles'has been inserted in thebox forvmrd of thefront edge of the follower (3]. ivhen the cover is closed down it isheld in place by means of the latch piece 14, which enwith itsoverhanging shoulder under that part of the bottom quite closelyadjacent to one of the slots 6.

Bolted to a fixed portion 19 of the framework of the machine is aprojecting bracket 20, whose outer end does not quite reach the forwardedge of the in: s of bristles in the As shown in l i 1, this bracket ispivoted to the rear of the iramework of the machine, so that it liesbehind, and to the rear of, the carrier member, :-;lio\rn in Fig. 2.Through the outer end of this bracket 20 passes a bolt 2], from whichpitotally suspended the engaging portion 22 of the sweep, whose ngagingedge is normally almost parallel with the forward 'lge of the mass ofbristles, and which is yieldil in. id in that position by the spring2-3. it being ine\'itable that th bristles used sla-uld vary :w-mcwhatin their siyrat various poi l i ns of their length, and as they thus, asa mass is a lvanced in the feed box, become more or less displaced fromtheir proper position of exact pcrpcndicularity to the loi'igitudii'ialaxis of the feed box, the sweep 22 is adapted to be forced against thatside of the advancing mass formed by the large ends of the bristles, asthey lie crosswise of the box; and, after each stroke of the carrier,which tends to exercise an incriaisingly displacing influence on thebristles, to force them back to their proper crosswise position. Toaccomplish this the pin 2! projects from the lower portion of the sweepas far as is desired, being regulated by the-nut 24 into the path of thevertically reciprocating slide piece 25, whose oblique shoulder portion25 engages against the pin 24 on each. downward stroke, although it isnot brought to a. stop thereby, nor it displaced from its path oftravel, since it is coi'itrolled by fixed guide grooves in the frameworkof the machine. The sweep 2; is, however, caused to strike forciblyagainst the edge of the mass of bristles, though its stroke is rendered\erylu'ief, because of. the o posite pull of the spring 23. it is,however, sufficient to in'ipart the de sired blow upon the too rapidlyadvancing ends of the bristles, and except at the/extreme bottom of thepile suffices to hold them back sufficiently.

At the bottom and forward edge of the feed box is a partially bifurcatedbristle-detaming finger 18, which is pivoted at 18 to the forward endsof the guide flanges S, between which the follower (5] engages, andwhich finger extends forward therefrom to ward the picker or carrier (1,so that its edge 1 '7 j ust reaches to the forward edge of the box. Itis preferably a unitary metallic member, whose side portions are unitedby a central web, which, together with these side portions, constitutesin effect a trough or track 17, coaxial with the lengtluvise axis of thebox along which, and through which, the follower (51, when pushed thatfar toward the carrier (1., engages. The free end of this finger isconstantly pressed upward by a leafspring fixed to the bottom of thehox,and extending therebenea.th. The edges or points 17 whi 1h reach aboutthe peripheral 'edge of the carrier (1, without, however, re,ardinglyengaging the same, scrveto scrape therefrom, and especially from thebristlr- 'r carrying notches therein, any bristles whichare notpositively held thereby in satisfactory position for their delivery whenunited with the staple, and previous to their being driven into thebrush back. loopcrating with this, though its bracket; is supportedby'the box bottom independently thereof, is the scraper 27, whosebracket of the box, so that the scraper or point 27 engages hctu een theforked ends of the bristle-detaining fing r 18, so as to just clear theperipheral cdgr of the carrier (1 this, by engagemcnt" directly againstthe peripheral edge of the carrier, and inning ilane, scrapes and keepsclear the portion of the carrier not cared for by the points 17 of thebristle detaining finger 18. The height to which the scraper 27- extendstoward the engaging edge of the carrier regulated by the nut 27.

1. Feeding means for a brush making machine, comprising a supply box,means for forcing the bristles forward in a mass, the bristles beingarranged across the feed box, means for removing bristles in tufts, anactuating slide therefor, a sweep adapted to be 26 is fixed to thebottom ne ate vertical" positively actuated against the mass of bristlesby the engagement thereagainst of the actuating slide, and means forquickly retracting the sweep from continued cngagement against thebristles after each stroke thereagainst, substantially as described.

2. In a feeding device for a brush making machine, the combination of abristle supply box having an open end wherein bristles are I whereinbristles are adapted to be laid in a mass across the box, a weightedfollower adapted to engage against one side of the store of bristles andforce the same through the box, a reciprocating actuating member and asweep member pivoted to a fixed portion of the machine and adapted to beswung by contact thcreagainst of said actuating member against theforward portion of the store of bristles, the direction of its impactbeing substantially perpendicular to the line of motion of the actuatingmoving portion of the machine, substantially as described. I

4. A device adapted to period cally engage and force back into positiona store of bristles, comprising a reciprocating portion of the brushmaking ma hine to which the same is appurtenant a lived suspendingmember, a pivotally supported engaging arm provided with a projectingportion adapted to be directly engaged by said reciprocating portion,and a spring adapted to quickly restore the sweep member to its normalposition after each stroke, substantially as described.

5. Bristle feeding means for brush making machines, comprising areceptacle open at the ends wherein the bristles are ada ted to liecrosswise thereof, a follower slid ily engaging lengthwise 5therethrough, means for exerting pressure upon the outer end there of,where y the bristles are forced by its forward edge toward the deliveryend of the receptacle, and a hinged cover piece ada ted, when closed, tocooperate with the ot or portions of the receptacle in confining themass of'bristles, and adapted when opened,

'to cause said follower to be held from movement in either direction,substantially as described.

6. In a. device of the class described, in

combination with a bottom piece provided with longitudinal guide ways,adjustable'side l pieces connected therewith, a pivoted .covcr piece.provided with guide ways complementary to those of said bottom piece, afollower adapted to engage the guide ways in said bottom and coverpieces, means for forcing the same forward, and means controlled by themi'ivcmcnt of said cover piece whereby the follower member may be heldfrom further forward movement, substantially as described.

7. in a device of the class described, in combination witlra bottompiece. provided with rising struts, a cover piece hinged to said strutsand reaching over said bottom piece, the inner faces of each piece beingprovided with connilcmentary longitudinal guides. a follower inci'nberadapted to ent-herein, andanliustable side pieces eonnccted to saidbottom portion adapted to cooperate with said follower member in theadvancement of a supply of bristles toward one end ol' the device,substantially as described.

8. in a device of the classdescribed, in crnnbinaiion with a receptacleprovided with adjustable sides open ends and a movable cover, a followermember engaging lengthwise of said box-and adapted to force the bristlestoward the end of the box opposite to that entered by it, and meanscontrolled by the movement of the cover whereby the further advancementof the follower member may be arrested, substantially as described.

9. A bristle arranging device, having in combination with means forfeeding bristles forward in a mass for engagement by a tuft gatherer, apivoted oscillatory arm adapted to be forced with sharp impact againstsaid mass at certain intervals, means whereby it is quickly retractedfrom such position after the delivery of its stroke, and reciprocatingactuating means therefor, substantially as described.

10f In a device of the class described, in combination with ahorizontally arran ed receptacle having, open ends, a slidable fo llowermember enterin said receptacle through one of said ends and adapted toengage against a mass of bristles stored in said receptacle transverselythereof and to force them toward the other open end of the receptacle,and a bifurcated bristle-detaining finger pivoted to the bottom portionof the delivery end of said receptacle, and means for ,resilifrom thereceptacle, said fin er being located in line with the path of travel asa guide thereto as it approaches the delivery end of the receptacle,substantially as described,

11. A bristle-containing receptacle for of said follower member, andserving with its body portion brush making machines, comprisingadjustable side pieces, a fixed bottom piece prevlded With alongitudinally extending guide channel, a movable top piece similarlychanneled, a follower. member engaging through said 'reeeptaele, beingslidably held within the path of travel lengthwise of said receptscle bythe channele? OlClOIlS of said bottom and top pieces, a bifurcatedfinger pivotally attached to that portion of the delivery edge of thebottom 'pieee nearest the bristle removing lnenibenof the bnush makingmachine, Withits div ded ortlon outer- 1 most, and means for resilient ysupp0rt1ng E the same substantially as deseilbed.

g In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twoWitnesses.

WILLIAM G. LIEBIG.

LOT'iA LEE HAYTON,

